Regardless of the neighborhood you live in, or the complexity of your security system, it’s still normal to feel a little unsettled when you’re alone. As a stay-at-home mom, you aren’t only responsible for caring for your kids, but protecting them, your home and of course yourself. According to 2010 FBI crime statistics, a burglary occurs every 14.6 seconds. You don’t have to be paranoid to want to prevent your home or family from being a victim.
Home Alone
- Protect yourself with knowledge. Read or listen to your city news reports. Call the local police department to learn about criminal trends and common hoaxes in your area. Research flood and fire prevention practices. Then practice awareness and look for ways to improve in those areas.
- Learn self-defense skills.Take a self-defense class at a community center or college and learn how to defend yourself. Hopefully other precautions will keep you from ever having to use these skills, but it’s possible they won’t. Don’t rely solely on locks or home alarms. Knowing you aren’t defenseless gives you greater peace of mind.
- Don’t over share. When online, be careful not to post about upcoming travels or broadcast that you are alone. Unfortunately, according to 2009 FBI crime statistics, most female victims know their offenders.
With the Kids
- Plan for an emergency. Especially if you have little children who aren’t in school, you need to have a plan in case disaster strikes. In a way that’s appropriate for their age, talk with your kids about possible scenarios and ways to handle each situation. Coach them on whom to call or which neighbor to go to if they ever need help and you aren’t available.
- Set up a safe room. In the event of an emergency, you and your kids will need a room of refuge. Assign a room in your home as the safe room. Make sure there is a phone in the room and locks on the doors. Ideally the room would have a window you and the children could exit through in the case of fire.
Out & About
- Activate your alarm. Even if you’re only running errands or dropping the kids off at school, set your home security system. Thieves know that while many people have alarm systems, they don’t always use them. Don’t be that person. Even if it’s slightly inconvenient, make a habit of arming your alarm at all times.
- Create an illusion. While you don’t want to make it obvious that you’re alone, you also don’t want to let people know you’re away. If you’re going out of town, have a friend stop by the house to gather mail and pick up packages. Ask a neighbor to park in your driveway and keep an eye on your belongings while you’re gone.
- Don’t risk it. Keep garden tools out of sight and locked up. You don’t want to supply burglars with an easy way to break a window or pry a lock. If you come home and sense a disturbance, don’t check it out on your own. Leave, then call a trusted friend or 911.
This is a guest post by Maria Berlin
A stay-at-home mom and freelance writer, Maria loves spending extra time with her awesome kids.